Hydroxychloroquine and its relationship with a possible treatment for COVID-19 | THE UNIVERSAL



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On April 6, the Ministry of Health announced that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine could be used to treat Covid-19, after finding scientific evidence of these two drugs to treat the disease. In this way, the entity had left the possibility open for doctors to take it into account.

“These drugs, which are antimalarial, anti-inflammatory drugs and antigenic processing inhibitors indicated in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, have been documented in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2, with weak scientific evidence in favor,” the ministry had stated. .

Even so, the vice minister of Public Health and Provision of Services, Luis Alexander Moscoso, regarding these two drugs, specifying that he consulted with scientific societies, where it was found that, although the level of evidence is low, there is a recommendation for use.

However, Invima had warned three days before that the health emergency caused by Covid-19 worldwide, has generated an alert for the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of infection without having results that demonstrate its effectiveness.

“For this reason, the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (Invima) calls on citizens and health professionals, reiterating that these drugs are authorized for the management of malaria, malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus. ; Its consumption without a prescription can put health at risk ”, clarified the entity.

The institution cited cases from countries such as the United States and France, which have established strict protocols that allow the experimental use of these two drugs in patients with severe symptoms from Covid-19. However; Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine can cause serious side effects, especially when administered in high doses or when mixed with other drugs.

According to a study by Jinoos Yazdany of the University of California Rheumatology division, after President Donald Trump recommended the use of chloroquine to treat Covid-19, a massive purchase of the drug was evidenced, without However, the study in which this drug was mixed with an antibiotic called Azithromycin, had serious methodology problems.

“The data to support the use of HCQ and CQ for COVID-19 is limited and inconclusive. The drugs have some in vitro activity against various viruses, including coronaviruses and influenza, but previous randomized trials in influenza patients have been negative. In Covid-19, a small non-randomized study from France demonstrated benefit but had serious methodological flaws, and a follow-up study still lacked a control group. However, another very small randomized study from China in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 found no difference in recovery rates, “the study highlighted.

However, “the Institute recommends that patients and health professionals limit themselves to the indications established in the health registry to treat the aforementioned diseases, in which their effectiveness has been proven, or as part of clinical trials that have been authorized previously by Invima ”.



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